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We are familiar the political jousting, the constant scrutiny of the media, the threats of war and violence, the rise and fall of economies and the negotiations of great powers that happen behind close doors. Each day, nations would battle either through force or in the shadows for influence and interest. The political giants would challenge each other for more wealth, power and control. The balance of power would always change from country to country, region to region. In even the blink of an eye, a once powerful nation could crumble. It is not unusual to have revolutions and civil wars happen when least expected. This is the world we live in, the world we are most familiar with. 

But what you didn’t know that there are groups who work in the shadows. Groups who could change the course of countries, regions continents and sometimes even the world. These groups have never been known to the general public. Only the elites and the occasional conspiracy theorist know about these groups. They hold the lives of thousands of people and are ready to sacrifice them if needs to be done. They will stop at nothing to achieve their goals and ambitions. The interests of their groups are above the individual lives of their members. The masterminds, occult leaders and mad men that control these groups are cunning, malicious and deceitful. Some of the most triumphant and disastrous events in our history have been their doing. The few that knows about their existence and dares to expose them to the world usually disappear without a trace. These are the men of the shadows, the manipulators. 

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Welcome to the Manipulators, the roleplay about the different groups vying for power to achieve their goals. These groups bounded by conspiracy would use every trick in the book including black mail, bribery, assassinations, false allegations and threats of violence. You would take command of one of these groups. You would manage them to make sure they are efficient and always loyal. Your secret society must maintain its clandestine nature if you want to survive. As your group grows bigger in number and strength, you will have the opportunity to take advantage of world events. These events can help to further your plans and schemes. Of course other groups with other objectives and interest would also try to build power for themselves. You would also scheme and plot and use your resources to destroy them before they destroy you. As you come closer and closer to achieving your ultimate goal, your notoriety will rise. The more infamous you are, the more the public would want you gone. Public pressure would mount on world powers to get rid of you. Do whatever is necessary to make sure you survive. 
Not all secret societies are similar however. Along with ultimate aims, they are also different in organization. Different organizations have different strengths and weaknesses. A list below would distinguish the different organizations from each other as well as their different traits.

[hider=List of organization types and traits]
Every organization differs from each other in one way or another. They have different strengths and weaknesses. Determining how to use their abilities is the key on winning. The different traits that very organization inhibit to fulfill their objectives are stated below.
*Loyalty – Determines faithfulness and devotion of each member of the organization to accomplishing its goals. Organizations with high loyalty will see members fiercely devoted to the cause of the group and would less likely forsake the organization in times of turmoil. Members with high loyalty would also be less likely to betray their organization if persuaded by other forces.
*Efficiency – Determines how well an organization uses its resources. Organizations with high efficiency will waste fewer resources when carrying out missions as well as the day to day operations of the organization. 
*Mobility – Determines the ability of an organization to move from one location to another and the ease of the organization to do so. Organizations with high mobility Organizations with high mobility would be able to move their assets, including their headquarters, to other regions without spending a lot of resources. 
*Level of Professionalism – Determines the competence of every member of the organization, especially the specialist units of the group. Organizations with high levels of professionalism would have members excel at their individual fields of expertise. 
*Access to Equipment – Determines the ease of the organization to obtain their necessary tools and gears. Organizations with high access to equipment will find it easier to acquire their equipment without being detected by agents of the law as well as other groups. 
*Access to Finances – Determines the ease of the organization to obtain funding for their group. Organizations with high access to finances will find it more effortless to receive their funding as well as hide their resources from agents of the law as well as other groups. 
*Access to New Technologies – Determines the ease of the organizations to acquire new breakthrough technologies and the use of them. Organizations with high access to new technologies will always have up-to-date equipment and the knowledge on the use of them. 
*Access to New Recruits – Determines the ease of the organization to draft men into their group without much suspicion. Organizations with high levels of access to new recruits will find it easier to bolster or replenish their ranks. 
*Ease of Concealment – Determines the organization’s capacity to stay hidden and the level of ease to do so. Organizations with high levels of ease of concealment will find it more effortless to stay under the radar of the agents of the law as well as other groups. 
Now that you know what the different traits are, it’s time to get familiar with the different organizations. As said above, they have their own strengths and weaknesses. Each group would have points for very trait. Each group has 20 points spread out across their traits. However, the points are not all equally distributed for each trait. This is how each group gains its aforementioned strengths and weaknesses. The groups and their traits are listed below. 

Cult – A religious group fiercely dedicated to their objective. Their goals usually have a religious undertone and their shared faith and duty to their goal strengthens the bond between them. Cults have high loyalty amongst its members however lacks in area of level of professionalism. 
*Loyalty:5
*Efficiency:2
*Mobility:2
*Level of Professionalism: 1
*Access to Equipment: 2
*Access to Finances: 2
*Access to New Technologies: 2
*Access to New Recruits: 2
*Ease of Concealment: 2

Political Movement – A secretive group bounded together by their shared political ideology. Political movements that become secretive are usually violent and unyielding in nature, thus leading to their concealment. Political Movements have high ease of concealment but suffer from low mobility.
*Loyalty: 2
*Efficiency: 2
*Mobility: 1
*Level of Professionalism: 2
*Access to Equipment: 2
*Access to Finances: 2
*Access to New Technologies: 2
*Access to New Recruits: 2
*Ease of Concealment: 5

Economic Conglomerate – A secret group of tycoons, industrialist, economist, bankers and others involved in the field of business. They usually share the same vision of an economic reform that would only benefit them. Economic Conglomerates have high access to finances but have poor ease of concealment.
*Loyalty: 2
*Efficiency: 2
*Mobility: 2
*Level of Professionalism: 2
*Access to Equipment: 2
*Access to Finances: 5
*Access to New Technologies: 2
*Access to New Recruits: 2
*Ease of Concealment: 1

Organized Crime Elements – A group of high ranking individuals who profit from illicit activities. Although organized crime elements are not uncommon, those who have stayed away from the eyes of the public are more often more disciplined and organized. Organized Crime Elements have high access to new recruits but suffer from low loyalty.
*Loyalty: 1 
*Efficiency: 2
*Mobility: 2
*Level of Professionalism: 2
*Access to Equipment: 2
*Access to Finances: 2
*Access to New Technologies: 2
*Access to New Recruits: 5
*Ease of Concealment: 2

Paramilitary Groups – Groups that share the same organizational structure, training and subculture of a professional army without belonging to any official armed forces of any state. Paramilitary groups often use extortion, kidnapping and terrorism in their operations. Paramilitary groups have high levels of professionalism back lacks in the field of access to new technologies.
*Loyalty: 2
*Efficiency: 2
*Mobility: 2
*Level of Professionalism: 5
*Access to Equipment: 2
*Access to Finances: 2
*Access to New Technologies: 1
*Access to New Recruits: 2
*Ease of Concealment: 2

Ancient Order – A group bounded together by their oath to ancient goal that has yet to be fulfilled. Ancient Orders are not known to the public because most of the time, their goal may not be popular with public opinion. Ancient Orders have high mobility but suffer from poor access to equipment. 
*Loyalty: 2
*Efficiency: 2
*Mobility: 5
*Level of Professionalism: 2
*Access to Equipment: 1
*Access to Finances: 2
*Access to New Technologies: 2
*Access to New Recruits:2 
*Ease of Concealment: 2

When creating your secret society, you will have to choose one of those group types. Whichever one resembles your group the best is the one you pick. As well as the points already given, you have two more points to spend on any of the traits. You could bolster your weak points or further strengthen your strong points. That’s all for types of organizations and traits. 
[/hider]

Now that you know about the different groups, its time to learn more about the different units you will be commanding. You start out with basic infantry that are capable of doing every task although they are not particularly excellent at them. As time passes and your organization grows in strength and influence however, other individuals with knowledge in specific fields may offer to train your men for a price. They may even join your group if they agree with your objectives. The following agents you may deploy are listed below. 

[Hider=Different list of agents you can use]
Subordinate – The basic type of infantry you will use. They are the [i]jack of all trades[/i] although they are not terribly efficient or excellent at them. Paramilitary Groups have Militias which can arm themselves with different types of armaments, unlike the other subordinates, but cannot use them as efficiently as enforcers. 
Infiltrators – Agents that specialize in the field of gaining access to locations and other organizations surreptitiously and gradually, usually to acquire secret information. Political Movements have access to spies who are efficient at their task then other infiltrators.
Enforcers – Agents adept at using force to sway other people to do their bidding. Organized Crime Elements have mercenaries who are already armed with their own weaponry. 
Assassins – Agents who specialize in eliminating different people if needed by their organization. Ancient Organizations have Dispatchers who are less likely to get caught when accomplishing a mission. 
Saboteurs – Agents who specialize in disrupting other faction’s or organization’s operations. Cults have fanatics who cost less to train then other organizations. 
Tech Experts – Agents who specialize in the gathering of the latest technological devices and their proper workings. Business Conglomerates have Hackers who as well as their intended task, can also provide their organizations with extra funding(although not much). 
[/hider]

Your organization will start out with 30 subordinates and 1000 equipment and financial points. Your organization can recruit up to 200 people but no more than that. Equipment points are how much equipment your organization owns. If your organization is depleted of equipment points, you’re organization will run to a standstill. Financial points are the funding of your group. Since I do not have a concrete idea of the economical functioning of different countries, I decided to use this instead of national currencies. Financial points are needed to maintain your organization. You will have to spend financial points to recruit new personnel and purchase new equipment and technology. You will also take into account that you have to pay the salaries of your men. A subordinate will cost you 5 financial points per turn. A specialized unit with coast you double that. An associate will cost you twice a specialist. 
From time to time, you will be presented events. Events will allow you to improve your influence in your area as well as receive additional equipment and financial points. Missions will however require you to spend some of your equipment and financial points too. Depending on your organization’s efficiency, you may get some of it back. Your organization’s efficiency, mobility, loyalty and level of professionalism will also affect the outcome of the mission. If you succeed with a mission that will raise your influence, you will find it cheaper to recruit new men as well as buy new equipment and technologies. Raising your influence will gain you the chance to meet people who will train your subordinates to become specialist. If you succeed or fail in the mission (especially if you fail), your notoriety will rise. Having your notoriety rise would make it increasing harder for you to conceal your actions. As your organization becomes more transparent, your missions will become harder and harder to accomplish. It would also mean that the world powers would be more and more pressured to stop your organization as you become more known to the public. 
Now as I mentioned before, you can hire associates to help you with your goal. Associates can help as advisors, combat leaders and specialist trainers. Yes, your associates can train your men in the different fields of specialization if they have the knowledge to do so. You already have two free slots for your associates however if you desire to hire more, you can replace 10 of your personnel for one associate. However once you have hired an associate, you cannot get rid of them unless they are killed or captured on a mission. If that does happen, you can hire another if you wish. 

After every player has posted, I'll then post the next turn. Each turn is a month in time. If you feel that you need to post more than once, just tell me. With each turn, you're equipment and financial points may increase or decrease depending on your actions. 

Now that we all have that out of the way, it’s time for you to fill up your applications if you want to join. The application is found below:

Name of organization:
Name of organization's leader:
Name of Associate(s) and specialization(s):
Type of Organization: (Also please add the stats and add the two remaining points on there as well with a plus sign in front of them)
Ideology and Philosophy of the organization:
Prefered methodology of Organization to accomplish their task: (Does your organization prefer to bribe other groups to perform their task, create eventful distractions such as riots or assasinations)
Organization's headquarters:
History of organization:
Ultimate objective of the organization:

I may need to point out that I want this roleplay to proceed as more of a collaborative story than an actual game. I’m more interested in the development of the story itself than the mechanics of the game. That doesn’t mean I’ll ignore somebody if they have made a fault just to advance their storyline. What I mean to say is that if you’re more interested in winning than making a good story, this may not be the rp for you. That is all. Thank you again and good luck.